Picking mechanism for looms



g- 21, 1951 w. A. BLANCHARD 2,564,747

PICKING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Aug. 26, 1949 56 xwzgmm FIG .7 a ISTART OF PlCKiNG OPERATION & END OF PICKING OPERATION PIGKER TRAVEL b rDWELL on gun mcuua on CAM INVENTOR d POS|T|VE omvz OF SHUTTLE3---P''WILLIAM A. BLANCHARD lr smmss COMPRESSED f --P|cr ER STICK BENDS MSPRINGS EXPAND PICKER STICK STRAlGHTENS ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 21, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Crompton & KnowlesLoom Works,

Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 26,1949, Serial No. 112,492

18 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in picking mechanisms for loomsand it is the general object of the invention to provide such amechanism including resilient members such as springs which are stressedat the beginning of the picking operation and serve not only to keep thepicking cam against its actuator but also return the energy stored inthem to the picker stick near the end of the picking operation.

In a form of picking mechanism which has gone into use in a wel1-knowntype of loom a solid picking shoe or cam is fastened tightly to thepicking shaft of the 100m. The cam is engaged by a rotating picking ballor roll, and during the picking operation all parts of the picking shoeand shaft act as a rigid unit. As a result of this construction the camis likely to rebound from the roll with resultant unevenness ofoperation on successive picking operations, and the cam is preventedfrom imparting to the shuttle the kind of motion for which it isdesigned. Furthermore, repeated rebounding is likely to cause breakageof the picking cam or shoe.

It is an important object of the present invention to mount the pickingshoe movably on the pic-king shaft and operatively connect the shoeshaft by springs so located as to be compressed when the picking rollengages the cam to have stored in them energy which is available foreliminating or reducing the amount of rebound of the cam.

As the picking operation nears completion the springs will be undercompression, and it is a further object of the invention to deliver theenergy stored in the springs to the shuttle near the end of the pickingstroke. This delivery of stored energy is found to improve the flight ofthe shuto and in actual *nce has the eiiect of causn". the User tofollow 'e shuttle for a greater length of travel than is the case whenthe picking shoe is fixed tightly on the picking shaft.

In the usual picking mechanism the wood picker stick is bent during thepicking operation and straightens near the end of the picking stroke togive added acceleration to the shuttle. It is a further object of theinvention to employ an energy storing in the train of picking m chanismoperative to deliver its stored energy to the picker stick as the latterstraightens, thereby imparting an additional motion to the sticksimultaneous with its straightening to increase the accel :ration of theshuttle.

It is another object of the invention to provide the picking shaft witha key and mount rotatably on the shaft a cam member having a shoulder orsurface held against one side of the key by compression springs whichexert their forces on the opposite side of the key and are mounted onthe cam member. When the cam member is moved by the picking roll thesprings are compressed, permitting the shoulder to move away from thekey, and at or near the end of the picking stroke the springs return thekey into engagement with the shoulder to give added angular mo-.

tion to the shaft.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrange ment of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein convenient embodiment of theinvention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one end of a loom having the improvedmechanism applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. '1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on line 3--3, Fig. 2,showing the picking shoe parts in normal position,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 5-5, Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig, 3 showing the positionwhich the parts assume dur ing a picking operation, and

'7 is a diagram showing the sequence of operations of the parts of thinvention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame if! supports top andbottom shafts I! and Hi the latter of which is provided with a pickingarm l3 .rrving a picking roll or ball [4. The bottom -ait rotates everyother pick of the loom so that roll i i is in the low part of its travelon alternate picks of the loom. Another roll not shown herein is locatedat the opposite end of the loom and is displaced rom the roll shown inFig. 1. The lay it is provided with shuttle box 56 containing a shuttleS which is propelled by a picker ll cperatively related to the upper endof picker stick it. The latter is preferably though not necessairly madeof wood and is pivoted as at is to a rocker foot 20. A lug strap 21extends around the picker stick and is connected to a sweep stick 2?.the left end of which as shown in Fig. 1' is connected to a sweep orpower arm 23. The shuttle box may be provided with a usual form ofbinder 24 which checks th shuttle as the latter enters the shuttle boxand also offers some resistance to motion of the shuttle out of the boxat the time of pi ig.

The matter thus far described is of common construction and operates inthe usual manner. The sweep arm 23 is given a motion to the left onalternate picks of the loom when the lay is moved rearwardly and hasreached approximately its top center position. At this time the pickerstick 18 moves to the left to move the shuttle S out of the box IE andstart it on its flight to a similar shuttle box at the opposite end ofthe loom.

The sweep arm 23 is secured to a picking shaft rockably mounted in frontand back bearings 3| and 32 mounted on the loom frame. This shaftthereon may be of somewhat larger diameter F;

than .the front and back ends of the shaft, as suggested in Fig. 5, andhas cut therein a key slot 4| which may extend radially from the axis ofshaft 39. A key 42 is fitted in the slot Al and extends a substantialdistance above the top of the shaft 38, as shown in Fig. 3.

The picking shoe, designated generally at 44, comprises a cam member 45having a bore 45 which fits the enlarged part 4!) of shaft 30 betweenpositioning nuts 3? and 38. Member 45 has a hub or body portion 4'! fromone side of which extends the picking cam 48 for cooperation with thepicking roll l4. Cam 63 has a working incline 39 having low and highparts 59 and 5|, respectively, and is preferably formed with a dwell 52extending beyond the high part. This dwell is preferably concentric withshaft l2 when the roll I4 is on the high part 5! of cam 48.

The cam member @5 has an elongated shoulder 55 and is provided with alongitudinal pocket 55 which receives the upper part of the key 42, andcommunicated with three bores 51, 58 and 59 in shoulder 55. Located ineach bore is a plunger head 6n normally in engagement with the key 22.Each plunger head Gil may have a lug 6! fitting into the adjacent coilof a relatively strong compression spring 52 located in the associatedbore. There will be a spring 52 for each of the bores 51'59, and eachspring will have that end thereof opposite the corresponding plungerhead 69 engaged with an adjusting screw 58 screw threaded into theshoulder 55 and having a centering lug 61 for its spring. Each screw 65has a lock nut 68 by means of which the adjusted setting of the screwmay be held. The pocket 55, as shown in Fig. '3, extends transversely ofshaft a short distance to the right of key 42, and the plunger heads 63are mounted for slight longitudinal motion in bores 57-59.

Under normal conditions the picking shaft, key, picking member 55, andthe springs 52 will be as shown in Fig. 3, the springs being expandedand acting to hold a wall '5! on cam member at the left of pocket 53, 3,against the left part of the key 42. In Fig. 7 the entire time of thepicking operation is indicated at a, starting at the left and ending atthe right. At the beginning of a picking operation the picking roll 14will engage the low part as of cam 45 and rock the cam member 45 in acounter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. The shuttle, being atrest relative to the lay and being held by the shuttle binder, offersresistance to movement of the picker stick l3, and as a result the shaft30 tends to remain at rest during the first part of the rocking of theshoe 45 for a time corresponding to e in Fig. '7 with resultantcompression of the springs 62 and storing of energy in them. During thisoperation the parts will assume the position shown in Fig. 6 with wallll moved to the left of the key 42, and with the springs eitherentirely, or almost entirely, closed by compression. This relativeangular motion of member 45 with respect to the shaft 30 is madepossible by the fact that the pocket 50 is somewhat wider than the key12.

As picking ball l4 continues to roll along cam incline 43 shaft 36 willstart to turn and the picker stick will be bent or bowed slightly towardsweep arm 23 for a time corresponding to ,f, Fig. '7. Eventually, enoughforce will be exerted by the upper end of the stick to cause the shuttleto start moving .to the left in shuttle box 16, Fig. 1. For theremainder of the engagement of roll M with incline 45 the shuttle willbe driven positively by the cam for the time indicated by d, Fig. 7.During this part of the picking operation the stick will be bowed andthe springs 62 will remain under compression. Thereafter, as the pickingball reaches the end of incline 49 the picker stick will straightenduring part at least the time indicated at Fig. 7, its upper end movingin the direction of travel of the shuttle to increase the accelerationof the latter. The

springs 62 thereupon expand while roll 14 is in engagement with dwell 52of the cam to give the shaft 3G a slight additional turning motionrelative to the picking member 45 to produce an extraacceleration on thepart of the picker IT. This extra acceleration derived from expansion ofthe springs will generally occur during straightening of the stick, andduring the last part of the picking operation the shuttle derivesacceleration from the fact that the stick is recovering its normay shapeand also from the fact that the picker stick is being moved bodily bythe springs.

In Fig. 7, 1) represents the time of travel of picker 5?, and 0represents the time roll I4 is moving along the incline 49 of cam 48.When roll 6 leaves dwell 52 the springs will be expanded and key d2 willbe against wall 1!.

If it should be desired to adjust the degree of compressibility of thesprings all of the adjusting screws may be either tightened 01'slackened, as desired, or if the degree of adjustment is to be veryslight then only one of the adjusting screws 66 will be turned. In thisway a very small change can be induced in the total force exerted thethree springs.

As already mentioned, there is likely to be some rebound of the cam 48from the actuator roll l4 during the picking operation. With the springsunder compression from near the start of the picking operation, however,if there should be a tendency to rebound the springs will expandsufnciently to hold the cam against roll l4, and in doing so will enablethe cam to give to the picker stick the character of motion for whichthe cam is designed. As the roll !4 approaches the high part 5! of thecam the springs will be under compression, and for this reason theshuttie will be 'iven additional acceleration, as already described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the iIlYfiIltiOn sets forth atrain of force transmitting mechanism between the picking roll [4 andthe shuttle including springs in which energy is stored and thenreturned near the end of a picking stroke to give increased accelerationto the shuttle. This train also includes the bendable picker stick whichrecovers its normal form as the springs expand. While the compression ofthe springs has been set forth hereinbefore as occurring at thebeginning of the picking stroke it will be sufficient if the storedenergy is accumulated at some point during the picking stroke before thelatter is completed. The springs also serve to reduce or reventrebounding of cam 48 away from roll I4 and thus hold the cam against theroll throughout the travel of the roll along seen that changes andmodifications of the fore-- going specific disclosure may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In shuttle picking mechanism for a loom having a picking actuator, apicker stick for picking the shuttle, a picking shaft operativelvconnected to the picker stick, an energy storing means on the shaftincluding a picking shoe for engagement with the actuator, andcompression springs, said energy storing means having energy storedtherein by the actuator during the first part of the picking operationand returning said energy for application to the picking stick duringthe latter part of the picking operation.

2. In picking mechanism for a loom having a shuttle to be picked and apicking actuator, a train of mechanism intermediate the shuttle andactuator including a resilient picker stick which is deformed during thepicking operation, a picking shaft operatively connected to the pickerstick, a picking shoe mounted on the shaft for angular movementrelatively thereto by said actuator, and compression spring meansoperatively interposed between the shaft and shoe, the relativeresistance of the stick and spring means to deformation being such thatthe actuator when engaging the shoe first compresses the spring meansand then bends the picker stick, the picker stick straightening duringthe latter part of the picking operation and the spring means expandingto cause the shaft to impart motion to the stick simultaneous with thestraightening thereof.

3. In shuttle picking mechanism for a loom having a revolving pickingroll, a picking shaft rockably mounted in the loom, a picker stickoperatively connected to the picking shaft, a picking shoe mounted onthe shaft for angular movement relatively thereto by said roll, a key onsaid shaft within said picking shoe, a plurality of compression springscperatively interposed between the picking shoe and the key, said rollupon engagement of said shoe causing compression of said springs andthen rocking of said picking shaft to give the picking stick a pickingstroke, said springs expanding near the end of the picking stroke tocause motion of the picking stick 6 additional to the motion of thestick caused by the roll and shoe.

4. In picking mechanism for a loom having a shuttle to be picked and apicking actuator, a" picker stick to pick the shuttle, a picking shaftrockably mounted in the loom, a key on said shaft, a icking shoerockably mounted on the shaft and having a pocket to receive said keyand having a plurality of bores communicating with the pocket andextending transversely of the shaft, a compression spring in each boreoperatively related at one end thereof to the key and. operativelyrelated to the picking shoe at the other end thereof, said actuator whenengaging the shoe compressing said springs to store energy therein priorto the rocking of the picking shaft and thereafter effecting a rockingof the picking shaft to cause movement of the picker stick and. theshuttle, said springs expanding near the end of the picking stroke togive back the energy stored in them for the purpose of giving additionalmotion to the picker stick.

5. In picking mechanism for a loom having a. shuttle to be picked and apicking actuator, a picker stick to pick the shuttle, a picking shaftrockably mounted in the loom, a key on said shaft, a picking shoerockably mounted on theshaft and having a pocket to receive said key andhaving a plurality of bores communicating with. the pocket and extendingtransversely of the shaft, a compression spring in each bore, a plungerhead slidable in each bore intermed ate" the key and one end of theassociated spring, the other end of the spring being operatively relatedto the picking shoe, said actuator when engaging the shoe membercompressing said springs to store energy therein prior to the rockin ofthe picking shaft and thereafter effectin rocking of the picking shaftto cause movement of the picker stick and the shuttle, said springsexpanding near the end of the picking stroke to give back the energystored in them for the purpose of giving additional motion to the pickerstick.

6. In picking mechanism for a loom having a shuttle to be picked and apicking actuator, a picker stick to pick the shuttle, a picking shaftrockably mounted in the loom, a key on said shaft, a picking shoerockably mounted on the shaft and having a pocket to receive said keyand having a plurality of bores communicating with the pocket andextending transversely of the shaft, a compression spring in each boreoperatively related at one end thereof to the key and operativelyrelated to the picking shoe at the other end thereof and said actuatorwhen engaging the shoe member compressing said springs. to store energytherein prior to the rocking of the picking shaft and thereaftereffecting rocking of the picking shaft to cause movement of the pickerstick and the shuttle, said energy stored in them for the purpose ofgiving additional motion to the picker stick, and an adjusting screw ineach bore to vary the normal compression of the associated spring.

'7. In picking mechanism for a loom having a shuttle to be picked and apicking actuator, a picking stck for the shuttle, a rockably mountedpicking shaft relatively connected to the picking stick, a picking shoemovable angularly on the shaft and positioned for engagement with theactuator, and coil spring means operatively interposed between the shoeand the shaft having the coils thereof normally open, said actuator uponengagement of the picking shoe causing compression of said springmeansand moving the coils thereof into closed order and thereafter causingrocking of the shaft to effect motion of the picking stick and shuttle,said spring means expanding near the end of a picking stroke to exertforce on the picking stick tending to move the same in the direction oftravel of the shuttle.

8. In picking mechanism for a loom having a shuttle to be picked heldfrictionally against motion by a shuttle binder, the loom having apicking actuator, a picker stick for the shuttle, a rockably mountedpicking shaft operatively connected with the picker stick, a pickingshoe mounted on the shaft for angular movement relative thereto andpositioned for engagement by the actuator, and compression spring meansoperatively interposed between the shoe and the shaft, the actuator whenengaging the shoe causing compression of the spring means to storeenergy therein and thereafter causing rocking of the picking shaft toeffect movement of the picker stick and cause motion of the shuttleagainst the action of said shuttle binder, the shuttle during thepicking stroke thereof moving away from the binder, said spring meansthereupon expanding to exert the energy stored there- 'in against thepicker stick to move the latter in the direction of travel of theshuttle to increase acceleration of the latter.

9. In a picking mechanism for a loom having a shuttle to be picked and apicking actuator, a picking stick for the shuttle capable of deformationduring the picking stroke but tending to return totthe normal formthereof, mechanism operatively interposed between said actuator andpicking stick including compression spring means deformable during thepicking operation but tending to return to the normal form thereof, saidactuator at the start of a picking stroke deforming said spring meansfirst and thereafter effecting deformation of the picker stick, thelatter'near the end of a picking stroke recovering the normal form andsaid springs recovering the normal form during recovery of the pickerstick of the normal form thereof, whereby the shuttle near the end ofthe picking stroke has energy imparted thereto by the simultaneousrecovery of both the picker stick and the spring means of the normalforms thereof.

10. In a picking mechanism for a loom having a shuttle to be picked by apicker stick, a regularly moving actuator, a picking cam operated by theactuator, operative connections between the cam and the picker stickincluding resilient means,

the actuator upon the engagement of the cam at v the start of thepicking operation storing energy in the resilient means, and a dwell onthe cam engaged by the actuator during the latter part of the pickingoperation cooperating with the actuator to enable said resilient meansto return the energy stored therein to the picker stick to increaseacceleration of the shuttle.

11. In a picking mechanism for a loom having a'shuttle to be picked by apicker stick, a picking actuator revolving about an axis, a picking campositioned for operation by the actuator havin low and high points, adwell on the cam extending from the high point thereof concentric withsaid axis when said actuator is engaging the dwell, and operativeconnections between the cam and the picker stick including resilientmeans in which energy is stored by the actuator during the first part ofthe picking operation, said resilient means returning the energy storedtherein while the actuator is in engagement with said dwell to increasethe acceleration of the picker stick and shuttle.

12. In a picking mechanism for a loom having a shuttle to be picked by apicker stick, a picking actuator comp-rising a roll revolving about afixed axis, a picker shaft rockably mounted on the loom, a picking cammounted on the shaft for angular movement relatively thereto and inposition for operation by said roll, operative connections between thepicker shaft and the picker stick, compression springs operativelyinterposed between the picker shaft and said cam, said roll whenengaging the cam at the beginning of a picking operation compressingsaid springs to store energy therein and thereafter as the pickingoperation continues effecting angular motion of the picking shaft,picker stick and shuttle, and a dwell on said picker cam engaging saidroll during the latter part of the picking'operation and effective tohold said cam temporarily in fixed position to enable said springs whenexpanding to return the energy stored therein to effect rocking of thepicking shaft to accelerate the picker stick.

13. In a picker shaft and picking cam assembly for a loom having apicking roll revolving about a fixed axis, a picker shaft constructed tobe rockably mounted in the loom, a picking cam having low and highpoints mounted on the picker shaft for angular movement relativethereto, compression spring means operatively interposed between the camand the picker shaft, and a dwell on the cam extending from the highpoint thereof constructed to be concentric to said axis when said rollis in engagement with said high point of the cam.

14. In a picking shoe for a loom picking shaft having a cylindricalbearing part and a key projecting beyond said bearing part, the shoecomprising a cam carrying hub having a bore to fit and move angularly onsaid bearing part of the shaft, the hub having a pocket thereincommunicating with the bore to receive the key at one side thereof, andresilient means in the -pocket-engaging the hub at the other side of thepocket and effective when the hub is fittd to said bearing part toengage the key and hold the latter yieldingly against the hub at saidone side of the pocket.

15. In a picking shoe for a loom picking shaft having a cylindricalbearing part and a key projecting beyond said bearing part, a pickingcam carrying hub having a bore to fit and move angularly on said bearingpart of the shaft, the hub having a pocket therein communicating withthe bore and extending lengthwise of the latter to receive said key atone side thereof, and a metallic spring for engagement with the keylocated in said pocket at the other side of said pocket and effectivewhen the hub is fitted to said bearing part to hold the key against thehub at said one side of the pocket, but yieldable to permit angularmovement of the hub on said bearing part.

16. In picking mechanism for a loom, a picking shaft having acylindrical bearing part, a key on the shaft projecting beyond saidbearing part, a picking shoe formed with a cam carrying hub having abore fitting and movable angularly on said bearing part of the shaft,the hub having a pocket therein communicating with the bore andextending lengthwise of the latter and receiving said key at one sidethereof, and resilient means in said pocket at the other side thereofengaging the key and normally holding the key against the hub at saidone side of the pocket but yieldable to enable the hub to turn angularlyon said bearing part.

17. In picking mechanism for a loom, a picking shaft having acylindrical bearing part, a key on the shaft projecting beyond saidbearing part, a picking shoe provided with a cam carrying hub having abore fitting and movable angularly on said bearing part of the shaft,the hub having a pocket therein communicating with the bore andextending lengthwise of the latter and receiving said key at one sidethereof, and a metallic spring in the pocket at the other side thereofengagig the hub and key and normally under a given stress to hold thatpart of the hub at said one side of the pocket against said key, saidspring capable of yielding under increased stress to enable the hub toturn on said bearing part and move said part of the hub away from thekey.

18. In picking mechanism for a loom, a picking shaft having a key slotand key therein, an adjusting nut on the shaft at each end of the slotmovable along the shaft when turned thereon, a picking shoe providedwith a cam carrying hub movable angularly and longitudinally of theshaft, and resilient means in the shoe operatively interposed betweenthe hub and the key normally holding a part of the hub against the keybut yielding to permit relative angular movement of the hub with respectto the shaft and movement of said part of the hub away from said key,said resilient means being movable with the hub when the latter is movedlengthwise of the shaft incident to adjustment of said nuts andremaining operatively interposed between the hub and the key for alladjusted positions of the hub along the shaft.

WILLIAM A. BLANCHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 251,801 Smith Jan. 3, 18821,625,793 Chilton Apr. 26, 1927

